More Than Enough
“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’” (2 Corinthians 12:9) We never realize the power of God’s grace until we find ourselves in a situation that requires it. Like a fix-a-flat can for unexpected trouble with a car tire, grace can seem pushed away from everyday life. The danger is that it is easy to forget that we have access into God’s grace because of faith in our Lord Jesus.
Christmas is such a beautiful time of year. With parades, lights, traditional songs, sharing gifts, and turkey and dressing. Hearing children laugh and grown ups feeling young again brings a renewed bounce in our step. The sights, smells, taste, cold, and laughter of this time of year is always special. However, for many it is a painful time.
Just as Christmas has a way of serving up sweet memories, it also has a way of serving up pain. The pain of loss or change, the pain of distance or by-gone years that only exist in our fading memories. This year will be different for Susanne and me. It will be the first year that our house is empty on Christmas morning. We will miss the bright eyed boys looking for their gifts and opening their stockings. We will miss the pitter-patter of little feet as they run with excitement to see if they received their wishes.
Others will miss loved ones, as their hearts and lives had to say good-bye this past year. An extra grace is needed for them. Hugs and words left unspoken will never get another chance in this life. Don’t save them—give them away in abundance! Hug tighter, laugh louder, love deeper, and slow down. A person in a fast car can not smell the honeysuckle on the vine, but a person walking slowly can. Take it all in… enjoy it… cherish it. It will be gone before we know it, and we’ll miss it.
The pleasure of previous Christmas’ from our youth serves us pain in our older age. Our souls are scarred with the joyful times of our youth, and many times it doesn’t hit us until we see an empty chair around the Christmas dinner table. Most of us have a place that is empty—a chair that will never be filled again this side of heaven. God offers us His grace. A grace that reminds us that trees, lights, gifts and even loved ones are not the reason for the season. Instead, Jesus is! He is the only One who can reunite us with our loved ones, and that is when the empty chair is removed from our life. Until then, He can steady our hearts and bring a joyful smile to our memories, even through our pain. Through our loss, we discover that His grace is… More Than Enough!
Merry Christmas to all of you… God bless!
